Range cabinet construction



Nov. 9, 1954 s. CHADWICK ETAL 2,693,792

RANGE CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQRS [as 62 f'flzdw/ck Marc fieaelf BY Harm? 4. S'ywre (AM TO).

ArramveXS Nov. 9, 1954 L. s. CHADWICK ET A RANGE CABINET CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets$heet 3 Filed March 1, 1950 INVENTORSQ lee 6. Cfia awlcl' Nov.'9, 1954 1.. s. CHADWICK ETAL 2,693,792

RANGE CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 is. 10 fie.

dwvsmiw Arrow/vars IN V EN TORS United States PatentOfiflce 2,693,792 Patented Nov. 9, 1954 RANGE CABINET CONSTRUCTION .Lee S. Chadwick, Shaker Heights, Marc Resek, Cleveland Heights, and Harris A. Squire, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignors to Perfection Stove Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 1, 1950, Serial No. 146,982 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-39) This invention pertains to the construction of cooking ranges of the modern kind in which the entire cabinetineluding top, body and base-4s fabricated of sheet metal exclusively and coated, usually, with vitreous enamel, .in contradistinction to an earlier type wherein the enameled sheet metal parts were attached by a large number of bolts or other fastening means to a supporting frame that gave shape and stability-and, incidentally, an undesirable amount of weight--to the structure.

It is the general purpose of this invention to provide a sheet metal construction for range cabinets that is substantial, durable, rigid to the required degree, and relatively light of weight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal construction for range cabinets that is composed of few parts which are convenient of manufacture and assembly, and all of which, excepting the top, are preferably permanently secured together, as by Welding, the top being attached to the range body by a minium number of fastening means or. bolts.

A further object is to provide a vitreous enameled sheet metal range cabinet wherein the parts are so shaped and related in the region of the joints and so connected together as to reduce to a minimum the likelihood of the enamel coating cracking or chipping.

The objects above enumerated, with others hereinafter appearing, are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking range cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are details :of connections between the top and range body at the front left corner, and the rear left corner, respectively; .Fig. 4 is a vertical section from front to rear through the range cabinet, the approximate plane of section being indicated by'theline 44 of Fig. '1; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the range body; Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the top left front corner of the range body; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the gusset incorporated in the corner of the body shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a. fragmentary perspective view of the rear portion of the left end wall of the range body and the adjacent corner of .the back wall before said walls are joined together; .Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the gusset employed in the corner of the back wall shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the brace members for stilfening the front corners of the range body, and

Fig. 11 is a similar view of the brace member and the surrounding portion of the body.

The range cabinet, shown complete in Figs. 1 and 4,

includes a top 1, a body .2, and. a base 3, all of which are constructed of sheet metal of suitable gauge.

The top 1 is in the nature of a shell, formed with a splash back 5, and with an inturned peripheral flange 6. Oblong burner openings 7 are located adjacent the ends of the top, and the splash back is provided with ventilating openings 8.

The body 2 is composed of two units, one of which includes a front wall 10 and end walls 11, and the other of which consists principally of a back wall 12. The end walls join the front wall through folds 15 that merge into the end walls 11 through curved portions of liberal radius and connect with the front wall 10 through abruptly rearwardly extending parts 17 that are at substantially right angles to the front wall. The front wall 10 has an inwardly extending top flange 18, and a somewhat deeper inturned bottom flange 19, while the end walls 11 have top flanges 20 and bottom flanges 21, said flanges of the end walls being in the same horizontal plane, and of substantially the same width, as the corresponding flanges of the front wall. "The folds 15 extend entirely from top to bottom of the range body and at their ends are provided with relatively narrow inturned flanges 25.

Set within each top front corner of the body, and shaped to fit the contour of the surrounding vertical parts thereof, are gussets 28. One of these gussets is illustrated in Fig. 7, where it will be seen that the same is flanged downwardly about its outer and along its inner edges. The gusset is provided with a hole 29 for a purpose presently to appear. As shown conventionally in the drawings, the gussets '28 are spot welded to the top flanges 18 and 20 of the front and end walls 10 and 11, respectively, and it may be explained that they are also secured to the inturned upper edges or top flanges 25 of the folds 15 by an appropriate Welding method. Incorporated in the lower front corners of the body 2 are gussets 30 that are spot welded to "the bottom flanges of the front and end walls 10 and 11. The front wall 10 has a horizontally disposed oblong opening 35 adiacent its top, surrounded by inturned flanges 36 that are made narrower about the ends of the opening than elsewhere to facilitate forming the flanges about the rounded corners of said opening.

Relatively large openings 38 extend from a little below the opening 35 to near the bottom of the front wall 10 and are surrounded by inturned flanges 39. These openings define the open fronts of the ovens, in the finished range, and the open fronts of compartments below the ovens which, in some instances, accommodate drawers.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the front unit of the body 2 is U shaped in nlan, and the rear unit, which includes the back wall 12 and rearwardly extending wings 40, may be similarly described, although, as a U-shaped unit, it is relatively shallow. The wings 40 are integral with the back wall 12 and are disposed at an obtuse angle thereto. The back wall is formed with rea'rwa-rdly extending top and bottom flanges 41 and 42, respectively, while similar flanges 43 and 44 extend inwardly from the upper and lower edges of the wings 40 in the same horizontal planes as the corresponding flanges of the rear wall; and set within the angle between the top corners of the back wall 12 and the wings 40 are gussets 45, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 9. These gussets are provided with holes 46. Flanges 48 extend inwardly from the rear vertical edges of the wings 40 and are in a plane parallel to that of the back wall. The end walls 11 are provided with inturned rear flanges 49, and engaged with the inner sides of these flanges 49 are the previously mentioned flanges 48. Theparts are so proportioned that when the front and rear units of the body are assembled, the flanges 43 engage the underside of the top flanges 20 of the end walls 11 so that said flanges, with the underlying ends of the gussets 45, may be secured together by spot welding, as indicated in Fig. '5. The obtuse angular relation of the wings 40 to the back wall 12 provides a sort of truss-like construction for the rear vertical corners of the body that imparts rigidity to said rear corners, similar to that imparted to the front corners by the hollow column or post-like formations resulting from the folds 15.

It has been mentioned that the openings 38 of the front wal1'1 0 define the open fronts of the ovens. Consequently, when the range is in use, the narrow horizontal portion of the front wall above said openings may be heated to quite a high degree at times which, alternating with cooling periods, causes transverse expansion and contraction of the front wall within the region so aifected. It has also been explained that it is customary to coat the exposed surfaces of range cabinets with vitreous enamel. To avoid any possibility of such a coating being crazed, cracked or chipped by flexing of the metal due to expansion and contraction in the horizontal region of the front wall above the oven openings, bracing members 50 (Figs. 10 and 11) may be fitted into the folds 15 in said region. These bracing members may be held in place by spot welding them to the contacting portions of the range body, or in any other suitable manner.

The base 3 includes a front wall 55, end walls 56 integral therewith, and a back wall 57.

The body 2 is mounted upon and suitably fastened to the base and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the front and ends of the base are inset a distance from the planes of the front and ends of the body, the overhang of the body along the front being greater than at the ends to provide ample toe room for a person working over the range.

A control panel 90 is set within the top portion of the shallow channel or depression defined by the front wall and the folds 15, said panel being attached to the front wall adjacent its ends by fastening means or bolts 91. The panel is provided with the usual openings for valves, regulators, etc. The control panel flares downwardly and outwardly and curves gently rearwardly at its ends to properly harmonize with the folds and the space below the panel is entirely occupied by the oven doors 93 and closures 95, the former being connected to the range body by the usual hinge mechanisms (not shown). The closures 95 may constitute the fronts of drawers that operate within the compartments below the ovens, or they may be detachably connected to the front wall 10 and serve to close said compartments in the absence of drawers.

In completing the assembly of the range, after the interior parts, including oven walls, insulation, conduits, manifolds, valves, etc., are installed, the top 1 is applied to the body 2. Connections are now made between the top and body adjacent the corners thereof. Assuming that the top and body are coated with vitreous enamel or other similar material, buffers are inserted between the flange 6 of the top, and the underlying flanges 18 and 20 of the body, preferably in the region of said connections.

The connections are of a separable nature and include clamping plates, the one located at the left front corner being shown particularly in Fig. 2 and designated 100. Projected downwardly through a hole in the clamping plate 100, and through the hole 29 of the underlying gusset 28, is a bolt or stud 101, shown as having a flat head 102 that is desirably welded to the clamping plate. A corner portion of each clamping plate 100, diagonally opposite the adjacent rounded corner of the top of the range, is turned down to provide a lug 103 which occupics the angle between the flanges 18 and 20 of the range body. 105 designates one of the buifers previously referred to and which, in the present instance, consists of a plate of relatively soft aluminum. The buffer has an aperture for the passage of the stud or bolt 101. Applied to the stud or bolt of each front corner connection, and drawn up tightly against the underside'of the corresponding gusset 28, is a wing nut 106. It may be explained that the clamping plates 100 are shaped to fit within the front corners of the top 1, and have edge portions which are in close proximity to the front and end portions of the top so as to hold the top against rearward or lateral movement with respect to the range body.

The connections between the rear corners of the top and the corresponding corners of the range body differ somewhat from the foregoing, and one of such connections is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, where a clamping plate 110 bears upon the flange 6 of the top and has an edge portion turned downwardly to provide an elongated lug 111. The clamping plate 110 has an aperture which, when the plate is in proper position, registers with the hole 46 in the adjacent gusset 45 of the range body, an apertured buffer 112 being interposed between the top and body, similar to the buffer 105 associated with the previously described connection. A bolt 115, having a slotted head 116, is projected downwardly through the apertures or holes in the clamping plate 110, buffer 112 and gusset 45, and shown applied to the bolt are a lock washer 116 and a nut 117, the nut being drawn up tightly to compress the lock washer between the nut and the gusset 45. The outer edges of. the two clamping plates of the rear connections are closely adjacent the ends of the top, while the rear edges of said clamping plates closely approach the vertical parts of the peripheral flange 6 of the top, thereby to prevent the top from Ema/ing endwise or forwardly with respect to the range Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a range construction, a sheet metal body unit including end walls that are substantially parallel to each other, and a second sheet metal unit including a back wall and wings of substantially equal width and of a height corresponding to that of the back wall extending rearwardly from the ends of the latter at obtuse angles with respect to the plane of the back wall, said second unit being disposed between and attached to the rear portions of the aforesaid end walls with the rear edges of the last mentionedwalls contiguous to the corresponding edges of said wings whereby clearance is provided between the end walls and back wall permitting unobstructed expansion and contraction of the walls and allowing for slight variations in the dimensions and relationship of said walls.

2. In a range construction, a rectangular body comprising vertical walls joined at the corners of the'body and having top flanges, apertured gussets fitting the top corners of the body and engaged with the undersides of, and secured to, said flanges, a rectangular top consisting of a hollow shell having an inturned peripheral base flange, the top being disposed over the body with the base flange of the former overlying the top flanges of said walls, and separable connections between the body and the top adjacent each corner thereof, each of said connections including a clamping plate that fits within a corner of the top and is engaged over the base flange of the top and has, at its inner side, a depending lug overhanging the adjacent edge portions of the flanges of the top and aforesaid walls, a screw carried by the clamping plate and extending downwardly through the aperture of the underlying gusset, and holding means applied to the screw below said gusset.

3. A range construction according to claim 1, wherein said end walls and wings have flanges extending inwardly along their rear edges at substantially right angles to the plane of the end walls, the flanges of the wings being engaged with the inner sides of the flanges of the end walls thereby to position the back wall in a given relation to the end walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,078,471 Tinnerman Apr. 27, 1937 2,171,852 Klute Sept. 5, 1939 2,269,349 Tullis Jan. 6, 1942 2,291,737 Lockwood Aug. 4,1942 2,414,162 Morton Ian. 14, 1947 2,418,152 Avery Apr. 1, 1947 2,535,528 Brodbeck Dec. 26, 1950 2,556,444 Reeves June 12, 1951 2,569,775 Pearce Oct. 2, 1951 2,608,458 Simpson Aug. 26, 1952 

